Staples Explores Possible Sale of Company

By Matt Jarzemsky and Dana Mattioli

Staples Inc. is exploring a sale, less than a year after its effort to merge with rival retailer Office Depot Inc. failed on antitrust grounds.

The Framingham, Mass., office-supplies seller is in talks with a small number of possible private-equity bidders, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are early and it is possible they won’t lead to a deal, the people cautioned.

Should there be one, given a typical takeover premium, it could value the retailer at roughly $7 billion or more.

Write to Matt Jarzemsky at matthew.jarzemsky@wsj.com and Dana Mattioli at dana.mattioli@wsj.com

Breaking the story

Matt Jarzemsky and Dana Mattioli were first to report that Staples Inc. is in talks with a number of private-equity companies about a possible sale, according to sources. The deal could value the Massachusetts office-supplies seller at roughly $7 billion or more.

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